The Replacement DHI
by MeadowRose
Summary: Finn and his DHI have gone missing and the Imagineers have created a replacement DHI for him. Now that Finn is out of the picture, Maleficent is hatching a wickedly evil plan for the Kingdom Keepers, especially Finn and his replacment.
1. The Kingdom Keepers

Disney World is a beautiful, unworldly place where dreams come true. Unworldly doesn't have to mean ugly and terrifying. Lampposts were posted along the sidewalk, palm trees swaying right next to them. Shops aligned the street and offered many souvenirs and expensive food. The scenery was completed by Cinderella's castle reaching for the clouds.

I stood in the middle of the street in awe as I watched the sun rise up from behind the castle. It was warm and sunny in Florida that day. Main Street was bustling in the Magic Kingdom. I looked at the sticky note some kid gave me to tell me where to go.

I had come to Disney World yesterday afternoon to become one of the DHIs in Disney World. Apparently on of the DHIs had disappeared or something. The Imagineers were working on my DHI to replace it. I walked on the side of the street were few people tread. The wind made the palm tree's older leaf fly off a branch and into my face.

I couldn't see. I trashed around but it wouldn't come off. I did a kind of dance trying to get the leaf off while yelling, "Get it off! Get it off!" Strangely the leaf flew off of my face. I watched the old leaf fly off into a window in the firehouse.

I stared as someone shut the window. Was there supposed to be anyone in there? I unfolded a map that was also included with the sticky note. The firehouse was marked with a big, red X, this was were I was told to go. I walked through the open doorway and up the stairs. Like I was told.

There was a door at the top floor of the firehouse. There were voices on the other side of the door. I couldn't quite hear them so I pressed my ear to the door.

"Why did the Imagineers have to go and make another DHI?" One of the boy voices said.

"They don't know about our secret, remember?" Another boy said.

"Neither will the new kid!" A girl voice shouted. "He or she won't know anything! We'll have to explain and that will give the Overtakers more time to make a plan!"

Did I hear them correctly? What are Overtakers?

"Shush, shush, shush…" A girl said quieting the others. "She's here…"

"How do you know it's a she?"

No one answered. I leaned on the door more trying to hear if they were whispering or not. I still couldn't hear anything. I leaned more completely flat with the door. I could hear footsteps getting closer and closer.

The door came open and I fell inside the cramped room. "Ah!" I screamed. I spit out a dust bunny that I had breathed in. All eyes were on me. I realized who a lot of the people were. They were the DHIs. Except, I couldn't recognize one of the teens.

"Um… Hi." I said. I was red faced now, How embarrassing.

"_You're_ the new DHI?" A boy asked with a discouraged tone.

"Oh… Well, hello there. My name's Willa." Willa said as she extended her hand to help me up. I took it and was lifted up.

"My name's Rose." I said as I shook Willa's hand. "Are you all DHIs too?"

"Yep." Said the red headed teen sitting on a cushion at a small table. "I'm Philby."

"The computer freak." The tall dark teen leaning against the wall added. "Call me Maybeck. You don't need to know my real name."

"It's Terry." Said the cheerleader-like blonde girl. Maybeck's eyes narrowed at her. "I'm the one and only Charlene!"

The girl Rose didn't recognize stood up. She had brown hair and wore a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and jeans. "I'm Amanda. Do you know why we called you here?"

"A DHI is missing right?" I said unsure.

"Yes, but he was also our leader." Willa said. I looked at her. I was clueless.

"At night, DHIs cross over to Disney World when you go to sleep." Amanda explained. "You sort of teleport to a bench or at least that's what I've heard. It isn't a dream. It's real. What ever happens to you there is with you when you cross back to your bed."

"Okay," I said trying to figure out the logic. "I think I get it."-I remembered the conversation I had overheard earlier-"What are Overtakers?"

Philby sighed, irritated that they had to explain so much. "You know Disney characters, right?"-I nodded. He continued-"At night, when everyone is away, Disney characters and some props come to life. That includes the villains Walt Disney made."

"So?"

"So the villains, being the greedy characters as they were, wanted more than just freedom at night. They wanted the _whole _park to themselves, to drive out all of the good characters and make Disney World a dark park." Philby explained. "That is an Overtaker."

"So what do we do?"

"We try to stop them, Einstein." Maybeck insulted.

"What about the missing DHI?" Everyone looked at me with pained looks on their faces.

"Finn, our leader, died in his DHI State. The DHI went with him." Charlene silently whispered.

"We don't know that!" Amanda screamed. "He could be in SBS or the Overtakers might've captured him!"

"SBS?"

"Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. It is where you can't cross over once you are your DHI. You can't wake up." Philby said

"Finn disappeared Friday night…" Charlene said. "He never came back, neither did his DHI. Amanda assumed the Overtakers got Finn and his DHI while he was crossed over. Willa thinks that he-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" Amanda interrupted. She plugged her ears with her fingers. "I can't hear you. La, la, la, la, la."

"Real mature, Amanda." Willa said. She came over to whisper in my ear. "I think he's dead personally, DHI and all. Overtakers don't always play it safe you know."

"So why do you need me?" I asked. My last question if something else doesn't come up.

Maybeck groaned. Willa shushed him. "Well, you're a DHI now and we can't let you roam Disney World at night all alone now can we. We might as well make you part of the group before the Overtakers get you."

"Congratulations!" Charlene patted me on the back. "You're a Kingdom Keeper."


	2. DHI of a Rose

Today hasn't gone the way I'd expected it. I'm a Kingdom Keeper? A man brushed up against me. I stared at him as he walked off. I will cross over at night? The others had scared me today. I didn't know how to help them. What could I do? I'm not a hero.

I sat down on a bench. I don't even live in Florida. I live in Mt. Washington, Illinois. It isn't actually a mountain, more or less like a hill. I was going to head back tomorrow. I would only see the Kingdom Keepers in my dreams; if what they say is true.

A lady brushed by me. She wore a cloak, purple rimmed. I looked at her strangely. She was staring at the newly introduced DHI. I heard her murmuring something.

"So…" She said in a grinding voice. "There's a new player in the game. Soon I will meet her."

I stood up on the bench. My DHI was directing little kids to the restrooms. The woman in the cap with two devilish horns looked left and right searching for somebody. I noticed she had green skin. I stepped off the bench and slowly backed away.

I knew this woman. It was Maleficent, one of the villains in Disney World. If the Kingdom Keepers were right Maleficent was an Overtaker. Her fans swarmed her from all around asking for autographs.

I spun on my heels and ran. I looked over my shoulders. Maleficent had heard me run and looked my way. She smiled as I ran towards Cinderella's castle. I kept running.

I looked forward not wanting to run into anybody and when I did I saw a pirate running towards me. I stopped suddenly and ran left. I could hear happy Disney music playing in the background, not really matching the mood I was feeling currently. The pirate was too fast. He was gaining on me.

After a long run through crowds of people the pirate was super close. I could see the entrance to Splash Mountain. I headed that way. I ran straight through a crowd of people and confused the pirate. Once I was at the line, the many visitors wanting to get soaked by the ride covered me.

The pirate couldn't find me. Then I saw his friends standing guard at the entrance and the exit waiting for me to come out. I was doomed. I would go into the ride, I would love that, but I would get captured at the exit. But if I go back they will catch me at the entrance. Then I had an idea.

"Hey, look! It's an alligator!" I pointed at the trees left of me. Of course, there wasn't actually any alligator.

While the attention of the crowd of people searched for the large reptile I sneaked over the railing and started running towards the road. I was breathing hard currently. What would happen if the pirates really did catch me? Most likely it would be bad.

I swatted at a bug that flew right in front of my face. When I was at the road I tripped over a branch and fell into a person taking a picture of their family. The pirates' heads swiveled my way.

"Sorry, I tripped." I looked over my shoulder and saw the pirates running in my direction. "Got to go!"

I ran down the path, again. The pirates waved their swords menacingly. I ran faster. I turned a corner suddenly and hid myself behind a bench. I squatted there trying to catch my breath. I closed my eyes hoping they wouldn't find me if I couldn't see them.

I heard boots stomp past me. Then, when I opened my eyes, I saw that one of the pirates had stayed put and had sat down on the bench I was hiding behind. He stunk like a dead fish. Does this guy ever take a shower? His breath was almost worst than his stench. I pinched my nose.

He put his sword away. I backed up a few feet away from the pirate. I carefully stood up trying not to make any sound. I stepped back another few feet then turned and bumped into someone.

I tried to apologize to the man but he put something to my face. My arms flailed trying to get the thing off of me. I gasped for air. Then I felt lightheaded. The man pulled the mask away from my face. The next minute I swooned and fell into the arms of two men. Everything went blurry before I could see the man's face.

The men dragged me into the trees. I squirmed trying to break free of the men's grip. The men gripped me harder. I cleared my head trying to clear the fog in my mind. I saw a slight glow. The men dropped me.

I looked down at my jeans. I was glowing! I gasped along with the men that used to be dragging me. I looked like my DHI. I felt my arm. I was still human. Almost like I was half-human.

I heard something _whoosh_ threw the air. I saw a dart hit the tree. Fear overwhelmed me and my skin turned back to its normal glow. I was exhausted. my DHI had drained the energy out of me. I fell to my knees.

_Don't fall asleep! _I screamed in my head, but I collapsed to the dirt and closed my eyes unwillingly.

-Ten seconds later-

I woke up standing on Main Street. I looked around baffled. What happened? People walked past me with their kids and friends. I had just been by Splash Mountain and now I was at Main Street. I had only fallen asleep.

Then I remembered what Amanda had said earlier today about falling asleep and waking up as a DHI. I looked down at my feet. They were glowing. I was a DHI. I WAS A DHI!

A hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. I came to face a woman with green skin and a purple rimmed cloak. I gasped. It was Maleficent! She grinned.

"I was wondering when I would meet you." She said in a grinding voice. Her hand was freezing cold. It felt like all heat was drained from my body. My face showed fear. She could see it. "You're the new DHI?" Reluctantly I nodded.

She dragged me across the street and into the trees. My shoulder was going numb from the chill of her hand. I tried to squirm free of her grasp but failed miserably. It as like I couldn't control my body anymore. Like I had no free will.

I screamed hoping someone would save me. Maleficent covered my mouth with her freezing hand. I cried out but it sounded muffled. I thrashed around as much as I could.

"ROSE!" Screamed Amanda. "Let her go!"

"Silly girl, she's mine." Maleficent tightened her grip on me. I thrashed around.

"You can't have her!" Amanda yelled.

"Says who? A little girl like you?" Maleficent mocked.

"I said, give her back!" Amanda sprinted towards us. Anger flared in her eyes.

Maleficent released one hand from me and created a ball of fire in her hand. She threw it at Amanda. It hit Amanda with an amazing force and sent her flying. She hit the ground hard.

"Silly girl, you should never play with fire." Maleficent cackled.

"NO!" I screamed. The voice was muffled but understandable.

Maleficent tugged me away. I tried to scream some more but Maleficent shushed me and conjured up a fireball out of thin air. I quieted still staring at Amanda's seemingly lifeless body. Anger welded up inside of me. Everything in my mind was erased except for the anger I was feeling.

I stood there alone. Nothing was holding me back. Maleficent was behind me gawking. What just happened? I ran towards Amanda. She was up now and also standing in awe at what she had just seen.

"Hurry!" I said. I pulled her arm and we ran towards the firehouse.

I looked over my shoulder. Maleficent was gone.

"Don't look back!" Amanda told me. "We have to get to the others, now."

"What happened back there?" I asked.

"You'll have to wait for an exclamation." Amanda told me.


	3. Philby's Plan

"I thought only Finn could do that." Charlene said. "What do you think that means?"

"Well, I saw him pass through Maleficent. Now that she sees you're just like Finn she'll think of you as a threat. She'll make you her main target." Amanda explained. "Philby, what do you think?"

"From the information you gave me, I have a theory." Philby said. All eyes were on him. "When Finn went missing the Imagineers had to replace him right?"-Everyone nodded-"Now, I don't know if I'm saying this right, but to replace someone you have to be like them right?"-I didn't have a clue where he was going with this-"To be like Finn you have to have his abilities. That includes his ability to move through solid objects, to convert into light."

"You have got to be joking." Maybeck mocked. He turned towards me. "Show me how to 'convert' into light."

"Well, I honestly don't know how I did it last time." I confessed.

Maybeck waved me away. "Whatever."

Philby continued. "Maybe, somehow, you can lead us to Finn."

I stared at him. "And how do I do that?"

Philby shrugged. "Well I have an idea but it'll only work if Finn's still alive."

"Great Phil!" Charlene said. "Huddle up everybody!"

-Later that night-

"I can't believe I'm doing this." I grumbled. We had all gone to sleep early that night. My mom had gotten an extra night at our hotel so I was still in Orlando.

"This is going to help us find Finn, Rose." Charlene said trying to lighten my spirits. "I bet he can't wait to meet you."

"He probably doesn't even know I exist." I quipped.

-In Maleficent's Liar-

Maleficent was staring into her crystal ball. She had seen the teens come up with their plan. She now knew what was coming. She had seen Rose turn into a DHI when the pirates were chasing her.

"Silly kids," Maleficent said. "But I've just discovered your 'ingenious' plan. This means war."

"You'll never win, Maleficent!" the tied up kid in the corner yelled. "Rose and the others have the power to defeat you!"

"What is that? Friendship?" Maleficent cackled. "You humans and your stupid beliefs. Friendship has no power of its own. It is just a feeling."

The kid squirmed on the floor. He could hear the screams of the park guests above him. "Your despicable."

"You're no prince yourself." She snapped back.

"The Kingdom Keepers _will_ find me." The boy said. "They will finally detain you, too."

Maleficent grabbed the boy by the collar. "You can't detain me," She said menacingly. She looked directly into the boy's determined eyes. "Finn Whitman."

-Main Street, 8:30-

I stood there. Fear was over coming me. No way this plan would work. I looked at a bench where Philby hid. He gave me the two thumbs up signal and gestured for me to move on. I looked straight ahead.

No Disney characters wandered around the streets tonight. Philby told me it wasn't a good sign. Charlene hid at a different bench on the other side of the street. Willa and Maybeck were at the opposite ends of the street hiding in bushes.

I stood there unmoving. I checked my watch, 8:31. Why is time so slow? My job was to be bait, get captured, and lead the team to Maleficent's base. I was jittery.

What if Maleficent just kills me instead of capturing me? This thought haunted me; Maleficent would make a huge ball of fire and hurl it at me. I shivered.

Winnie the Pooh strolled through the street. He waved at me. I waved back trying to be polite. Winnie's eyes went wide as he looked to his left. He ran as fast as he could away from what he saw.

This was it. The others knew it too. I could hear Willa and Maybeck settle into their bushes so that they wouldn't be seen. I could see Philby and Charlene's DHI glow as they crouched lower.

A couple Disney characters scurried across the street retreating from what was coming. I gulped down the lump in my throat.

A chill went down my spine. It was the familiar cold I had felt when Maleficent had grabbed me last time. I heard the crackling of the grass as it froze underneath the Overtaker's feet. I could see my breath as it entered the cold air. I rubbed my hands together for warmth.

I could see a purple rimmed cloak round the corner. It was Maleficent. I braced myself. I saw a tinge of green skin. A raven was perched on her shoulder making Maleficent seem more dark and mysterious.

She raised her right arm towards me. I shielded my face just in case she threw a fireball. She pointed her index finger at me. I closed my eyes. I heard flapping towards me. I opened my eyes.

The raven was flying to me. It had something in his beak. I extended my arm so he could perch on it. He gripped onto my shirtsleeve. I took the sack from him. He immediately left me. That's not a good sign.

I opened the sack anyway. There was a note in it and a small box. I took a glance at the note.

It read _Sweet dreams, Kingdom Keepers. _

What in the world? Suddenly the box opened by itself. It was enchanted! The contents of the box burst out in a puff of black smoke. All of Main Street was covered with smoke. I couldn't see the other Kingdom Keepers.

"PHILBY! WILLA! CHARLENE! MAY-" I was cut off by a filthy hand covering my mouth.

I was pinned down to the ground. The thing duct taped my mouth and struggled to tie me up with ropes as I thrashed around. I was handed over to a few other people. I recognized them then. They smelled of dead fish, their breath almost worse. It was the pirates that had chased me the first day. They threw me into the back of a cold truck.

I could barely hear Charlene's voice as the pirates shut the doors. "Rose! Where are you? Rose? ROSE?" Her voice faded away as the truck sped away.

Pirates surrounded me making sure I couldn't escape. I was captured, like the plan intended. This time although my friends wouldn't be able to find me.

-In Maleficent's Liar-

Finn watched as the crystal ball played the events that were happening in Main Street. Maleficent's raven gave Rose the velvet sack containing the smoke ball and small note. He watched as Rose read the letter and looked into the sack.

Finn could see Rose's shocked expression as the ball inside the box exploded and fogged out the crystal ball. He could hear Rose's screams for the other DHIs. He heard Charlene and the others looking for Rose. The ball smoke cleared away.

The teens were looking for Rose but to no success. Charlene fell onto a bench and sulked there. They were defeated.

"No!" Finn denied. "This can't be true!"-He hung his head-"Disney World is doomed."


	4. In Maleficnet's Lair

The truck bumped me around. I had squirmed my way to the corner of the trunk. They had blindfolded me earlier. I think they didn't want me to see where Maleficent base was. The duct tape was peeling off my mouth.

The pirates lifted me out of the back of the trunk. They took my legs and tied up arms to carry me away. It felt like they were pulling me in different directions.

"Ouch!" I said. My voice was still muffled. "Watch it!"

One of the pirates opened a door and we walked through. They stood me up on my feet. I didn't move. They dragged me down the hallway. My feet drooping behind me. Finally I started walking after my toes began to go numb.

It grew colder in the air. The pirates seemed to not even feel it. I shivered. The pirate opened another door. This time the pirates didn't enter. They just pushed me in. I staggered in. It was unbelievably cold in here. I literally felt Maleficent's presence.

"Take a seat." Maleficent said in her wicked voice. "Make yourself comfortable."

-Main Street-

"No…" Charlene moaned. Philby had her arm around Charlene in an attempt to comfort her. She had her head in her hands. "Now what do we do?"

"We just have to look." Philby said.

"How do we explain this to Rose's mom?" Willa asked.

"I don't know." Philby admitted. "We don't have to explain if we get Rose back tonight."

Charlene looked up at Philby. "But where do we start?"

Maybeck shrugged. "Someplace wet and cold I would assume."

Everyone paused to think of a place to start. Philby opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Charlene snapped her fingers and stood up for a second but sat back down after rethinking about her idea. Finally Maybeck thought of a place.

"Splash Mountain!" Maybeck shouted.

"Why Splash Mountain?" Willa asked.

"Because I like riding it." Maybeck answered.

"What a bunch of-" Philby started saying.

"Wait," Willa interrupted. "It makes sense! Someplace wet and somewhat cold is Splash Mountain!"-Philby scratched his chin in consideration-"Plus I also love that ride."

"Splash Mountain here we come!" Charlene shouted excitedly.

The group ran down the street to Splash Mountain.

-In Maleficent's Liar-

I was sat down in a corner with some kid. Drops of water fell through the ceiling. One fell on my face. I shook my head trying to get the water off. Stupid rain!

Maleficent had been studying the kid and me for about fifteen minutes. She had been pacing for twenty minutes. I have been freezing for a half-hour. All feeling in my body had gone numb. She pricked my thumb and drew some of my blood. Talk about weird.

"Ouch! Are you quite finished yet?" I asked.

"Don't be hasty, child." Maleficent said in her usual grating voice and she stormed off.

"It's ok," Said the kid. I could hear that he was a boy. "The DHIs will save us."

"How do you know about them?" I asked suddenly curious.

"I'm Finn." He said. "Surely they told you about me." Talk about arrogant.

"Yeah," I said. I rolled my eyes behind my blindfold. "They told me about you."

"You are… Rose, is it?" Finn asked.

"How'd you know that?" I asked him.

"Well, in this room there is a crystal ball." He said taking note that I have a blindfold on. "I watched it a lot while I was tied up here with the Ice Queen."

"Can you help me get this blindfold off of me?" I asked.

"Umm… I'm tied up too."

"Oh."

I could hear Maleficent at the other side of the room. She was talking to someone but I couldn't see him, of course. Finn stirred next to me.

He ripped of my blindfold with his teeth. I could see.

We were in a dark, damp room with no windows and a crystal ball in the middle of the room. Maleficent was with a man in the corner. He whispered something in her ear.

"The girl?" Maleficent asked sounding astounded. "Interesting."-the man whispered one more thing in her ear-"You're right, she's become a greater threat than we've feared. She has talent even she has no idea about."

She approached Finn and me. Her purple rimmed cloak swaying as she walked. The cold grew more intense as she drew nearer. She stopped in front of me. I dared to look into her eyes.

"Hello, Warden." I said. Finn snickered.

Maleficent ignored me. "Come with me. We're going for a little ride."

"I'd rather die than go anywhere with you." I snapped at her.

Maleficent just grinned. She scares me. "That can be arranged."

She grabbed my collar and hauled me out of the door. My neck stiffened as her freezing fingers skimmed my neck.

"Finn!" I called out.

"It'll be alright!" Finn assured me. "The Kingdom Keepers will come!" But I could hear the cracking of his voice. He doubted it would happen.

I staggered down the hallway. I braced myself for the worse as Maleficent opened the door to outside. She slowly turned the knob. Forst developed as her fingers stayed connected with the metal. Light flooded in to the hallway as the door opened. I looked out at the straight down drop. We were on Splash Mountain. I stared out as the sun started rising over the trees.

Then I saw the DHIs.


	5. Splash Mountain

**Ok, so right now I would like to say that I thought it would be a cool idea if I made the ending a little more romanic. One of the most unlikely couples, Willa and Maybeck. :-D Share your thoughts! Thanks for reading my stories.**

I looked down from the high cliff that I was standing on. The waterfall to my left roared as the water collided with the ground so far below me. Insanely overgrown thorns covered the ground. I wondered if the thorns would hurt in reality, if they were just flexible materials.

Philby and Charlene were at the base of the mountain. They were staring up at me. Maleficent's green, bony fingers gripped my collar. Maleficent's eyes narrowed at the two teens.

"You really think you can stop me?" Maleficent cackled.

"Its over, Maleficent!" Charlene shouted. "Give us Rose back!"

"Oh, but child," Maleficent sighed, "This is only the beginning."

Maleficent snapped her fingers. It seemed to echo. I heard a low rumble. The ride was coming to life. Philby's eyes went wide as he looked at Charlene then to the entrance. I realized something then.

I mouthed it to Charlene. "Where's Willa and Maybeck?"

-In Splash Mountain-

Maybeck didn't like the beginning of Splash Mountain. It seemed a bit too cheery for his taste. Singing frogs and other various animals was a little babyish to him. Maybeck only liked the adrenaline of the drop. It got his nerves going.

Willa on the other hand loved the cute little animatronics. She had memorized the songs and every turn on the ride. Willa loved the water soaking her face as they would speed to the ground.

Maybeck sat in the front row while Willa sat in the back. "Our weight should be spread out so we don't flip." Willa explained to Maybeck. The ride started like the two had planed. Maybeck brought a baseball bat to the ride, just in case.

The log went up a conveyor belt and started to circle a patch of thorns.

"Duck!" Maybeck commanded. "Up there is Maleficent! We can't let her see us!"

The two slumped into their seats and ducked their heads. They came to another conveyor belt. Willa looked up as the log continued upward. At the top of the belt they floated in the pleasant water. Music started playing as they were passing through. Willa looked at Maybeck.

"Where do you think she's keeping Finn?" Willa asked.

The log hit a bump and made the two bounce in their seats. "Give me a second." He said as he scratched his chin. He noticed small trees with doors on them, literal tree houses. "Maybe the entrance is in a tree."

"Brilliant!" Willa said. Maybeck held his head up proudly. "Maybe one is in the cave with the singing animals?"

"Oh, man! I hope the animatronics aren't playing." Maybeck complained.

"Me too," Willa admitted, "They might attack us."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that." Maybeck said raising his baseball bat to Willa. "I just hate them singing annoying songs."

The log zoomed down a mini drop, compared to the major fall at the end. Willa threw her hands up in the air while Maybeck yawned showing how boring this ride was turning out to be.

The teens entered the cave entrance. Trees looked like guards the animal's homes. A sign was pounded into the ground saying No Fishin'. The geese in boats fished in the streams anyway.

A fox stood on the shoulders of a bear. Their heads turned towards Willa and Maybeck. Willa stared at the tree homes attentively. She finally saw a tree that was quite pretty and flowery. A tiny, baby rabbit sat on the steps, how misleading.

"This is definitely the entrance." Willa told Maybeck. "Philby said he disabled the security to the ride."-Willa stepped out of the log and onto the soggy ground-"Come on."

The sitting rabbit snapped its head toward Willa. Willa gasped and jumped back. Maybeck sprang out of the boat to Willa's rescue. He swung the metal baseball bat towards the bunny rabbit's head. The bat swiped the head clean off the rabbit's shoulders.

"And that's what I think of your stupid song!" Maybeck cheered.

More of the forest animals gathered around Maybeck and Willa. Some carried banjos and other musical instruments while one female bunny carried a frying pan. Willa tugged on Maybeck's sleeve.

"Maybeck?" She said with concern.

Maybeck turned around. "Oh, ****!" He cursed as the lady bunny swung her frying pan at Maybeck.

Maybeck fought back. The other animals were gathering around the defenseless Willa. They waved their instruments threateningly above their heads. Maybeck noticed this and whipped his bat at his bunny. She had held her frying pan above her head about to slam it down on Maybeck's foot this had given Maybeck a clear shot. The bunny went flying into the water. All that was left was the frying pan she had dropped.

Maybeck scooped it up and tossed it to Willa. "Heads up, Willa!"

Willa caught the pan and swung it at a banjo playing goose. The goose fell over and didn't get back up.

"Sweet!" Willa said admiring her frying pan. "Maybeck, look out, duck!"

Maybeck ducked as a duck flew over his head. He counter attacked with his bat. It hit the duck's butt, hard. The animals backed off Willa all of a sudden. A frog lurked behind Willa. It was standing on its hind legs and held a knife high above its head. It was ready to slash Willa with great force.

"Willa!" Maybeck yelled.

Willa turned to face the frog. She shielded her face from its knife. Maybeck looked for something to help save Willa. He found only a trash can. Maybeck grabbed the lid and held it up, perfect.

The frog raised the knife even higher. Willa closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst. Maybeck jumped in front of Willa right as the frog brought the knife down on her. Maybeck shielded them with the trash can lid. He pushed the knife away. The frog staggered backwards.

Maybeck swung his bat like a shield at the frog. He barely missed it. The frog swung back and slashed Maybeck's bicep with the knife. The two were locked in battle. No one came to help, it was just Maybeck and the frog. Some of the animals had scurried away and some had been cheering for their own favorite fighter.

Willa stood there still stunned by what had happened. Maybeck had saved her. That creative, sarcastic boy had saved her life. Willa's heart pounded. Was there something that was going on between them that they didn't even know about?

Maybeck pinned the frog to the wall. The frog snarled in Maybeck's face.

"This is for trying to kill my friend!" Maybeck shouted.

Maybeck lifted his bat and swung with all his might at the frog's gut. He had beaten the wind out of the frog. Its breath was heavy. Maybeck got into the frog's face.

"Get out of here." Maybeck sneered.

Maybeck dropped the frog. It scurried away along with the rest of the animals. Willa stared at Maybeck. Maybeck staggered over to Willa. He collapsed to the ground. Willa rushed to his side. She leaned over him.

"Are you ok?" Willa asked indicating Maybeck's cut.

"Not really." He hissed as Willa touched it.

"You're bleeding!"

"Oh, that's nothing."

"It's gushing!"

Willa left Maybeck's side to find something to stop the bleeding. She found a little scarf. She wrapped the scarf around the wounded bicep. She tied it tightly in a knot. Maybeck sat up. Willa grabbed the knife the frog had dropped and cut off the excess scarf.

Maybeck stood up. "Thanks." He said.

It all happened so fast. At first the two just stood there looking at each other. Next the two pressed against each other. They looked into each other's eyes. Maybeck looked deep into hers and saw a twinkle in them. Willa saw something mysterious and dangerous.

Maybeck dipped Willa down. It was so smooth. Willa gasped. The two had found a spark. Maybeck was embraced it.

He leaned his down towards Willa. Willa's heart raced.

"What's going on?" Willa said regaining sense.

Maybeck put his finger to her lips. "Shush" He said in a hushed voice. "No need for talk."

He removed his finger from her lips. Willa batted her eyes. Maybeck swung Willa back up so that they were standing. Willa edged closer to Maybeck. Maybeck leaned into Willa.

They kissed.


	6. Telepathy

After a minute Willa separated herself from Maybeck. She stood back from Maybeck at arm's length. Then she broke her eye contact with him.

There was a long, awkward silence between the two.

"This moment never happened." Maybeck said.

"Agreed." Willa said.

Willa slowly walked up the stairs to the tree home. She pulled on the handle. It wouldn't budge. She tried to pull on it harder, nothing.

"Maybeck?" Willa called.

Maybeck put his arms around Willa to pull on the handle. Willa bit her lip. The two twisted and pulled the handle. It didn't work. Maybeck scratched his chin.

"Push it." Maybeck suggested.

Willa rolled her eyes, again. She twisted and pushed the door open. She smiled sheepishly. Maybeck held the door open for Willa and they walked through.

-In Maleficent's Liar-

Finn sat there and hummed a song. He was incredibly bored. He'd found a nail file on the floor and was filing down on the ropes that bound him. Finn hadn't seen Rose for ten minutes and hoped nothing bad had happened.

Of course, Finn had been watching the crystal ball but it only showed the hallway outside the room he was in. Nothing moved out there. Finn felt so tired. He had dozed off fourteen times since he'd first been captured.

He'd only found entertainment in the crystal ball and it had been silenced. He glanced up at it again at the crystal ball. Nothing had happened. Wait, what was that that had just moved in the corner? Finn swore he saw something.

It was Maybeck's sneaker. Finn was saved! Willa shortly followed Maybeck. Willa turned the knob but the door was locked.

"Got a hair pin?" Maybeck asked Willa. Willa took a pin out of her hair and handed over to Maybeck.

"How are you going to open the door with a hair pin?" Willa asked as Maybeck picked the lock and pushed open the door. "Oh, like that."

Finn stopped filing his ropes. Maybeck and Willa entered the room cautiously.

"Over here." Finn whispered.

"Finn!" Willa said. "Where's Rose?"

"You didn't see her up there?"

"Where's Rose?" Maybeck and Willa said in unison.

"Maleficent went outside with her." Finn answered.

"Perfect." Maybeck said sarcastically.

Maybeck helped untie Finn and helped him up. "Thanks," Finn said. He ran over to the crystal ball and placed his hands on it as he'd seen Maleficent do so many times. "Where is Rose?"

Smoke filled the crystal ball and faded to show Maleficent and Rose outside Splash Mountain. It also showed Charlene and Philby staring up at them.

"Hurry, we've got to go!" Finn said as they ran out the door.

When they got to the door to the outside they found it locked. Finn tried again and again but it was definitely locked. Maybeck pushed him out of the way and pulled out Willa's hairpin. When Maybeck put the pin into the keyhole he got shocked. Maybeck cursed.

"Let me try something." Finn said. He released all of his emotions and tried to walk through the door. He was shocked somehow. "What in the world?"

"We're locked in!" Willa exclaimed.

-Outside Splash Mountain-

I mouthed to Charlene. "Where's Willa and Maybeck?"

Charlene just nodded. Had she understood me? I mouthed my question again. She ignored me this time. I guess Willa and Maybeck were fine if Charlene wasn't worried.

The sun was just above the trees. It went blurry before me. My eyesight appeared fuzzy. My knees felt like they had turned to Jell-O. My knees collapsed from underneath me. Maleficent didn't seem to notice, she was blabbing on and on about how she was superior or something.

Suddenly her voice seemed so far away from me. I couldn't gather enough energy to speak. I could barley keep my eyes open. My head throbbed. My stomach ached.

I closed my eyes unwillingly. I breathed heavily. I don't know how it happened but it did.

I fainted.

-Inside The Hallway of Splash Mountain-

"How are we supposed to get out now?" Willa said.

"I don't know." Maybeck snapped.

Finn paced around the hall. Willa and Maybeck leaned against the wall. Finn thought about ways to connect with Rose. He got nothing.

Willa sighed. "You know this would be much easier if you and Rose could use telepathy."

Something clicked in Finn's brain. "Telepathy!"

"Yeah," Willa said, "It's when you two can communicate through thoughts."

"I knew that." Finn said as he sat down on the floor.

"What in the world are you doing?" Maybeck asked.

"It's a meditation thing." Finn stated. "Maybe I _can_ use telepathy with Rose. I don't know how it'll turn out if it works though."

"Well," Willa considered, "We can only hope it works."

Finn closed his eyes. _Rose? _He thought. _Can you hear me? Hello?_

Rose didn't answer.

"It isn't working." Finn told Willa.

Willa put her hands on her hips. "Don't you like… picture light when you turn into a pure DHI?"

Finn looked up at her quizzically. "Yeah, why?"

"This is a little awkward." Willa said. Finn looked up at her with curiosity. "Try picturing her."

"Weird." Finn stated scratching his chin. "But it just might work."

He closed his eyes once again and crossed his legs. He cleared his mind completely. He thought only of what Rose looked like. Suddenly Finn felt lightheaded. Maybe this was working after all. His jaw felt sore.

He broke through to Rose's thoughts. He could hear what she was thinking currently. It hurt his brain to hear thoughts of different people and process it but he tried to bare it.

_Rose? _He thought. _Can you hear me?_

-Outside Splash Mountain-

"What did you do with Rose, Maleficent?" Charlene shouted.

Maleficent ignored Charlene. "Give me the Stonecutter's Quill!"

I barely heard the two talking. They were droned out by something else.

_Rose?_ Came a voice in my head. _Can you hear me?_

Who was that? My eyes shot open. I franically looked around.

_Rose?_ The voice said again.

_God?_ I thought.

_No, _The voice said, _It's Finn._ I looked around for Finn. _I'm using telepathy with you._

_Finn, _I thought. _Where are you?_

_I'm behind the door next to you._

I looked over my shoulder. I could just make out the blurry image of a door. _What am I supposed to do, Finn? Maleficent's standing right next to me._

There was a moment of silence as Finn was thinking. _Okay,_ He said, _have you tried turning to your pure DHI form? You can probably get through the ropes if you try._

_I don't know how to turn to my pure DHI form!_

Finn explained to me how he turns 'all clear' so he calls it.

_That sounds a bit difficult. _I thought_._

_Not when you get the hang of it._

Maleficent gripped me tighter. I cleared my mind of everything except light and how it passes through objects, like glass. I felt a tingle in my arms and legs.

I struggled to get up. The ropes passed right through me. I backed away from Maleficent who didn't seem to notice me. Philby's eyes widened. I put a finger to my lips to tell him to be quiet.

I rushed to the door holding Finn back. The tingle exited my body. I was half-human yet again. I tried the doorknob. It shocked me.

_Ouch!_ I thought to Finn._ Finn, the door just shocked me!_

_It does that._ Finn told me.

I took a step away from the electric door. I accidentally kicked a rock backwards. It hopped down into the waterfall and disappeared. Maleficent spun around. I slowly turned around to look at her.

"H-Hello..." I stammered. I took another step back. Maleficent's eyes narrowed.

"You're not about to leave, silly girl." Maleficent sneered.

Maleficent murmured something I couldn't understand. But I've heard it before. When Maleficent had sent a fireball hurling at Amanda. She was going to hit me with a fireball. I could tell she wasn't going to hold back.

_Finn! _I thought to Finn. _She's about to blast me!_

_Stay calm. Think light, pure light._

I concentrated on light, but the fear of Maleficent's fireball sent chills down my spine. The ball grew bigger and bigger. Maleficent grinned an evil grin. I closed my eyes, tightly.

I sneaked a peek out of one eye. Maleficent was ready. I wasn't.

"It's over." She said.

She chucked the fireball at me. It hit my gut with a devastating blow. It knocked the breath out of me. I staggered backwards. Maleficent smiled with satisfaction.

_I'm sorry, Finn. _I thought to him. _I'm done for._

I slipped on a loose rock and fell into the water gushing down to earth.


	7. An Attempt of Murder

"NO!" Charlene and Philby said in unison. They watched as Maleficent laughed insanely while Rose stumbled down the 50-foot drop. Charlene and Philby couldn't believe their eyes at what had just happened.

Rose disappeared under the rushing water. Philby swung his leg over a railing separating the ride from the bystanders. He rushed over to the water and dived in.

"Philby!" Charlene called out. She jumped over the railing effortlessly and ran over to the water. She yelled louder. "Philby!"

Philby surfaced a little bit farther down the stream. He frantically looked around. Then he dived under again. Philby tried opening his eyes underwater. It was very difficult for him to see but he tried his best. He didn't see Rose.

A new rush of water knocked the wind out of him. Philby tumbled in the water. His arms flailed. He couldn't tell which way was up or what was down. The rushing water spun him around. Philby hit his head against the corner of some metal full force.

Charlene worried about Philby. He had been under for three minutes. She wondered if he was still alive, if he had drowned. She stepped into the freezing cold water. She swished over to where she last saw Philby. Philby surfaced right behind Charlene.

"Philby!" Charlene gasped. "You scared me to death! Is this your idea of a joke? It's sick!"

Philby didn't move. He was face down and floating away like driftwood.

"Philby?" Charlene hurried over to Philby. "Philby!"

Charlene turned Philby right side up. He had a nasty gash in his head. It was gushing blood. His eyes were closed, knocked out. Philby was drenched, bloody, and helpless for Charlene could do nothing.

"No," Charlene moaned, "No, this isn't happening!"

Charlene dragged Philby onto shore. She looked for something to stop the bleeding on Philby's head. There was nothing Charlene could use. She looked at her jacket and took it off. She studied it for a moment.

"Philby," Charlene said. "If you live, you owe me a new jacket." She ripped her jacket into a strap of cloth.

Charlene wrapped the strap around Philby's head. She pressed her hands against the bandage. Philby looked so helpless. This had been so traumatic on Charlene, even more so on Philby. Charlene looked up at Maleficent.

Maleficent was gone.

Charlene looked back at Philby. His eyes were opening. He looked around.

"Charlene," Philby said, "Where is Rose?"

Charlene looked back towards the water. "I'll be right back. Press this to your head."

Philby pressed against the cloth. Charlene searched the water, nothing so far. Charlene hopped back into the water. She could slightly hear in the distance the sound of a log coming up the mountain. If Rose was down here she would get squished.

Charlene finally saw Rose lying, right side up thankfully, in the water. Charlene swam over to her. She shook Rose again and again.

"Rose?" Charlene said urgently. "Rose, wake up. The log's coming."

Rose moaned.

"Good, you're alive." Charlene sighed. "Now get up and swim."

Rose regained her senses. "Charlene, what's going on?"

"Get up and swim!" Charlene demanded.

Rose kicked her legs and swam. Charlene looked back over her shoulder the log was at the top of the mountain. She turned away and stroked her arms. The log plummeted down the 5-story drop.

"Charlene?" Rose asked as concern crept into her voice.

"Just keep swimming."

Charlene boosted Rose over the wall. The log splashed down and sped towards Charlene.

"Grab my hand." Rose told Charlene.

Charlene grabbed it and Rose pulled. The log grew closer and closer. Rose struggled to pull Charlene up. Charlene just seemed so heavy right now. Rose had just got Charlene up when the log rushed by.

"You okay?" Rose asked Charlene.

Charlene hissed as she held onto her ankle. "No, it got my ankle. I think it's broken. Maleficent's trying to get rid of all of us it seems like."

"Does Philby have the remote? You guys need to go to the hospital." Rose said.

"Yeah, Philby has the remote. Take the fob right after we press the button. We need everyone out of here."

Rose helped Charlene up and over to Philby. Philby's eyes were halfway closed. The two girls kneeled down next to him. Rose reached into his pocket for the remote. Rose palmed it in her hand and then handed it to Charlene.

Charlene snapped open her phone and dialed 911. She talked a little then stating Philby's address and her own address. Then she hung up.

"The ambulance will be at your house in a little while, Philby." Charlene told him. "Rose will continue on but we need to get out of here now."

He sighed reluctantly. "Ok."

Charlene held onto Philby's arm and pushed the button. They disappeared right before Rose's eyes. She blinked making sure she wasn't hallucinating. She sat down in the grass and crossed her legs. Finn needed to know that the others were in danger.

_Finn! _She thought as her head pounded. _Maleficent is going to try to get rid of you, Maybeck, and Willa. I'm bringing you the remote. You all need to get out of there, now._

Finn didn't respond.

_Finn, did you hear me?_

Finn remained silent.

"This can't be good." Rose said to herself. She grabbed the fob and climbed Splash Mountain.

-Inside Splash Mountain-

The hallway that Finn, Willa, and Maybeck had been in was a wreck. The lights flickered and dangled dangerously from the ceiling. Papers were scattered and technology lay on the floor smashed.

Maleficent had tried to kill the three teens. She had created mass destruction from it though. Finn had escaped pretty much unharmed but one could never say the same thing for the others.

Maybeck had his arm broken and Willa had insanely killer scorch marks where she had been hit with Maleficent's fireball. Finn only had a few cuts and bruises, nothing major.

The three lay huddled in a supply closet. They had escaped from Maleficent for now, but they knew she wouldn't give up this easily. Willa put her hand on the scorches and Maybeck cradled his arm.

"Listen," Finn whispered, "I know this looks bad. But Rose has the remote. She'll send us back. After that you two need a doctor,"-He looked at the injuries caused to his friends-"badly."

_Rose, _Finn thought, _Willa's all burned up and Maleficent broke Maybeck's arm._

_What about you?_ Rose asked.

_Pure DHI, remember, I passed through all the attacks but Willa got it instead. Not very smart when you think back about it._

Finn could feel Rose roll her eyes at him. _I got the fob then we can send them back to the hospital. You and me will have to find Maleficent ourselves, unfortunately._

_Unfortunately? _Finn asked. _Why would it be unfortunate?_

Rose ignored Finn. _Meet me at the entrance to Splash Mountain. We'll talk there._

Finn returned to his injured friends. "Rose will meet us at the entrance. Come on, no one has a leg injury right?"

"Shut up, Whitman." Maybeck snapped. Maybeck always called Finn by his last name. It usually irritated Finn, which gave Maybeck the satisfaction.

But Finn ignored Maybeck this time. "Willa, are you able to come along?"

"And stay right here by myself? Not a chance."

Finn helped Willa up and walked down the hall with Maybeck following behind. Willa looked back at Maybeck without Finn noticing. Maybeck avoided her gaze. They hadn't told anyone about what had happened back with the animatronics.

Willa had almost wanted to tell someone but thought better of it. Maybeck seemed out of her league. If rumor got around that she had kissed him, it would change to something pretty ugly. She knew her school like the palm of her hand. She had witnessed things that had been spread as something completely different in one school day. She could not risk that.

Maybeck had to have felt the same about reputation. Kissing a girl? Everyone he knows that comes into Crazy Glaze would snicker at him. He would be in hiding for the next two months.

When the three got to the entrance Willa rushed over to Rose.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Willa said. "You have the return? I want to get away from what happened on this ride."

Rose opened her mouth to ask something but decided she better not. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the return. She handed it to Willa. "Here, jab it with this pen and the remote will stay here with us."

Willa took the remote and walked over to Maybeck. She took his arm.

"HEY! That's my BROKEN arm!" Maybeck complained. Willa released Maybeck's arm.

"Sorry." Willa apologized and held onto his other arm.

She waved good-bye to Finn and Rose then pressed the button.

"It's good to talk without using telepathy." Finn said with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, It feels odd, a good odd. Like I don't have to strain myself to speak with you."

Finn smirked. "We better go, you know, catch Maleficent before she gets rid of us."

"Where should we start?"

"Right before Maleficent left Willa, Maybeck, and me helpless and injured, she said something about…"-Rose could see that Finn was struggling to remember what Maleficent had said. His eyes went wide as he finally remembered it-"Oh-no!" He said. Rose's eyes also went wide from the sight of Finn concern.

Finn grabbed Rose by the arm and dragged her away from Splash Mountain. Rose's heart raced. "What's going on, Finn?"

"How could I not have seen this before?" He murmured to himself.

Rose resisted Finn for a moment. The two slowed down. "What's going on?" She repeated.

"You need to go back." Finn said tugging on my arm to keep me moving.

Rose pulled back. She wouldn't budge until Finn gave her an answer. "Finn?"-She glared at Finn with questionable eyes-"Why do I need to cross back?"

"You're not going to like this." Finn told Rose. A chill went down Rose's spine. "Maleficent is going to try to murder you and me in our sleep."


	8. KO at the Gas Station

"WHAT?" Rose screamed at Finn.

"Shush! We can't talk here. We need to meet somewhere, someplace private."

"It's the one near Wal-Mart. Can I meet you at the beach?"

"Sure, why not? I need to tell my mom where I'm going though."

The two watched as the sun rise higher into the sky. Finn grabbed Rose's hand and the two ran behind a building. Finn stashed the fob under a bush and squeezed Rose's hand.

"Be there in thirty minutes. Don't be late!" Finn told Rose and pressed the button.

-The Beach-

Rose leaned against a large rock. She had been waiting five minutes for Finn and he had told _her_ not to be late. Rose gazed at the beautiful waves reflecting the morning sun's light off of it. No one was at the beach this early in the morning.

It was about 5:35 a.m. Soon the beach would be packed. Rose wondered if Finn was having any troubles. Rose heard the sound of sand being kicked up and into the air. She spun around on her heels.

Finn was sprinting towards Rose. He looked tired and afraid. Rose ran over to meet him.

"What's wrong, Finn? You said not to be late." Rose mocked.

"Maleficent." He barely got the word out he was so exhausted.

"You saw her?"-He nodded. He was too tired for words-"She chased you?"

"Not really." He coughed out.

"What happened?"

Finn finally caught his breath. "I saw her outside Crazy Glaze. Apparently she thought we'd meet up here. I tried to hide but I tripped over a stick and made too much noise. She saw me and sent her pirates at me. They chased me through the park, down the square, and out of an alleyway. I finally lost them when I went pure DHI and ran through the dead end they had trapped me in. However, they know where I ran."

"I'm lost." Rose confessed.

Finn grabbed Rose by the wrist. "We've got to go, now."

Rose followed Finn away from the beach. It suddenly got cold very fast. Finn didn't seem to notice. Rose could see her breath. A chill went through her whole body.

"Finn," Rose whispered. "Didn't you just feel the heat leave your body?"

Finn hesitated for a moment. They turned a corner. "Of course I felt it. You can't fear it, but take note that she's near. She senses fear, but we need to stay calm in order to be 'all clear'."

"Oh," Rose said trying to hold back a worried look. "I'll keep that in mind."

Rose heard more sand being kicked up.

"Don't look back!" Finn ordered.

Rose stole a look over her shoulder anyway. Pirates! Fear overcame her and she started running even faster. She passed up Finn and kept running. Rose's heart pounded in her throat. It was almost as fast as Rose's running.

Finn struggled to keep up with Rose. It went from him in the lead to Finn being dragged around in about seven seconds. Finn wondered how Rose wasn't tired yet. Of course he too wouldn't pay much attention to exhaustion if he were running for his life.

"You looked back didn't you?" Finn mocked.

"How can you joke at a time like this?" Rose questioned.

"You get used to running from danger after a while." He answered.

They ran and ran and ran for about a couple blocks. Rose grew tired and again was being dragged by Finn. The Pirates were lagging behind them. Finn saw this as an opportunity and pulled Rose around a corner and flattened her to a wall. The Pirates ran right past the corner and continued on.

"Need… Water… Now..." Rose coughed.

"The water fountain's in there." Finn pointed towards a gas station.

Rose scurried into the gas station for a drink. Finn leaned against the red bricks of a building. The Pirates would figure out where they were in a minute or sooner. Finn kept checking around the corner for Overtakers.

Rose sipped on the stream of water coming out of the fountain. The door to the gas station opened. Rose looked up from the fountain to see who it was. It was one of the pirates from frontier land. Rose backed away from the water fountain. She hid behind a rack selling candy. She watched as the pirate went over to the front counter. A high school girl sat behind the cash register chomping down on her gum and reading a magazine.

The girl looked up from the 'Ask Sammy' article. "Can I help you?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

"Did a lil' girl happen to pass through this here station?"

"Sorry, sir. I can't help you if you don't buy something."

Rose turned towards the door. Two more pirates came in. Rose scrambled to a different rack, so much for using the door. The two pirates guarded the door. The lady behind the counter noticed them.

The pirate talking to her took out his sword. "What was that, ye landlubber?"

The girl's eyes went huge. She pointed a shaking finger towards the water fountain.

The pirate swaggered over to the fountain to find the water still running. "She couldn't have gotten far."-He turned towards his partners-"Search the aisles. Quickly! " He commanded.

The pirates separated themselves from the door. They went to opposite sides of the room and knocked over the merchandise on the shelves. It fell to the floor with a shatter, crunch, squish, or splat depending on what was being tossed aside.

"Hey!" The cashier yelled. "You can't do that!"

"Watch us, missy!" The pirate leader growled.

Rose squatted farther to the ground as a pirate was coming towards her. She tried to let go of all her fear and thoughts. How could Finn do this so easily? Rose's arms and legs tingled. She grew brighter and brighter. A magical sensation filled her body. She was pure DHI.

Of course, her brightness made her easier to spot.

"Arg!" One of the pirates crowed. "Thar she be!"

Rose dashed through the glass window and out of the store. She heard the scream of the cashier. Had she mistaken her for a ghost or something? Finn waited for her by the wall. He ran over to her. Finn caught Rose as she fell from exhaustion. She was no longer 'all clear'.

"How do you do this every day?" Rose asked Finn. Finn helped Rose up to her feet.

"Like I said before, you get used to it."

"I had to leave someone in there." Rose said.

"Knowing the Overtakers they are either going to run out of there and chase us or hold that person hostage."

"I'm, for once, hoping that they start chasing us." Rose admitted.

Rose and Finn hid behind a dumpster in an alleyway. It had a view of the opening to the gas station but it was just far enough to get a head start on running away.

The pirates didn't come out of the building.

"They're playing captor today." Finn said.

"No, really?" Rose said sarcastically. She jumped up from where Finn and she were hiding. "We need to get her out of there."

"I totally agree," Finn concurred. "You'll distract them by the door. I can go around the building and you'll send me a signal when I need to pass through. Okay?"

Rose hesitated a moment thinking this over. "Actually, I think I should save the girl because I know her better."

Finn was surprised that Rose had rejected his plan. The DHIs always went with Finn's plans. He was used to it. "What do you mean you knew her? You were only in there for two minutes!"

"Well, I know what _kind_ of person she is, happy?"

"Fine." Finn said reluctantly.

Rose rounded the small, square building. She waited for Finn's so called 'signal'. Nothing happened for the next five minutes. Rose had spotted a can and started kicking it around. She was unprepared for any signal, if there was one.

A piercing scream could be heard in the gas station. Rose instinctively ran into the wall hoping to pass through it. She collided with it and fell to the filthy ground. She dusted herself off and got on her hands and knees. Losing all thought and emotions she crawled through the wall.

Rose appeared inside the store behind the counter. She ducked behind it and cautiously peaked over the counter top. The pirates were turned around. Their attention was elsewhere. Rose crawled through the counter. She looked down. Sprawled on the floor lay the cashier. A trail of blood streamed from a gash in her head.

She looked dead.

Fear entered Rose and she was 100% human again. She took a step back half expecting to go right through the counter. She felt dizzy looking at the lifeless body.

Rose let out a scream so sharp it broke a wineglass behind her. The pirates spun around. Rose clamped her hand over her mouth. She could see Finn near the cooler selling sodas and beer. He was looking away from Rose. Rose tried not to look at him but failed. Her eyes went from him to the pirate to the dead girl on the floor.

The pirate looked over where Finn was. "Show your self!" He yelled.

Finn, facing the inevitable, stood up slowly and hung his head. He raised his hands above his head the way you would if the cops were about to arrest you or if someone was robbing a store, sort of like now. Except, the pirates were kidnapping Finn and Rose.

"Front and center!" The same pirate barked. Finn moved cautiously to the center of the room. He hid his face from view of the pirates. He stood before Rose who was on her knees.

Rose looked over at Finn and whispered in his direction. "Finn? What are you doing?"

He didn't speak.

"Finn?"

"Quiet! No talking!" Another pirate ordered.

All of a sudden something burst through the window. No glass was shattered that tipped Rose off instantly. It wasn't a thing but a person. The person kicked down the leader pirate and stole his sword. The person held the sword to the pirate's neck. His colleagues stepped forward.

"Back off or the pirate gets it!" The person threatened. The person turned back towards the leader pirate. "What did you do to the girl?"

"She passed out when she hit her head on a metal pipe." The pirate explained.

"Excuse me?"

"Okay," The pirate said. "We knocked her out with the pipe and she got a gash in her head."

"You make me sick!" The person said. "Get out of here and take your friends with you!"

The pirates scrambled out the door. Rose stood up and walked over to the person.

"Jolly good show, Finn." Rose said.

"How'd you know?" Finn said sarcastically.

"Who was?" Rose began asking looking for the other Finn. He wasn't there. "Never mind. Should I call the ambulance?"

"Rather you than me."

Rose searched for the phone while Finn watched for Overtakers. When Rose was done she hung up and rushed to Finn's side.

"We better get out of here." Rose said.

"We can exit out the back, in fact we can exit anywhere." Finn said referring to their ability to walk through walls.

Finn and Rose heard sirens in the distance. "Let's go up. The cops might find us in the alley if we exit through a door." Rose said.

They passed through the door with no effort and headed onto the roof. An ambulance and a cop car were parked outside the gas station. Rose looked over at Finn.

_Do you think they'll come up here?_ She thought.

Finn just nodded. He looked to his right where another building stood. _We might be able to jump that._

Rose went wide-eyed at the thought as she looked at the building. The distance seemed to get farther and farther apart. She turned back to Finn. _You _really _think that we can clear that?_

_Don't know until we try._

Finn took a step back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He was getting ready to jump. He opened his eyes and sprinted across the small rooftop. He leaped up and landed on the other roof with a silent thud. He signaled for Rose's turn.

Rose took a step back as Finn did and closed her eyes. She tried to not think about falling. How far down was it? She didn't dare look. She took in a deep breath and ran heavy heartedly across the concrete roof slowing when she came to the edge. She took a step on the edge and without looking down pushed off. She went flying. Finn got ready to catch her.

When the time came for gravity to kick back in Finn grabbed her by the arm. He held her steady as she finally opened her eyes.

"I did it!" She exclaimed. Finn cupped his hand over her mouth and shushed her. He didn't want anyone to know that they were there.

When the she finally stopped freaking about the jump Rose asked silently. "What do we do now?"

Finn looked over at her. "Maleficent will find us. The pirates will report back to her any minute now. We'll stay here and wait from above."

Rose nodded agreeing with Finn. She squatted in her spot and waited for Maleficent to come by. Finn kneeled with one hand on his leg and the other flat on the ground.

Something rattled in a bush. The teens heard it and spun around to face the noise. Something crawled out of the bush on all fours. It seemed human-like but not exactly. Rose noticed him immediately.

"Oh my gosh..." Rose whispered.

"What? Who is it?" Finn asked with anticipation.

"It's Mickey!"


	9. Red Brick 13

Rose scrambled down a ladder to her left. Finn tried to stop her but missed as he swiped the air above her head.

"Don't go Rose." He said. "It could be a trap."

Rose stopped halfway down the ladder. "He's Mickey." She reasoned.

"That's a perfectly good explanation." Finn said sarcastically.

Rose jumped the rest of the ladder and speed walked towards Mickey Mouse trying to hide her excitement behind her expression. Mickey brushed his red shorts off and stood up.

"Mickey?" Rose called out pretending to not know who the mouse was.

"Hi ya!" Mickey greeted in his usual cheery voice. "Hey, you're that one DHI! Nice to meet cha!"

"Thanks." Rose said.

Finn climbed down the building and ran to Rose's side. "What are you doing outside Disney World?"

"It's the Overtakers!" He seemed to change moods in a split second from joyful to terror. "They've taken over while you were gone!"

"What?" Rose and Finn yelled in unison.

"I thought Maleficent would chase after us." Rose said.

"Looks like she was just trying to keep us out."

"She's made most of the characters into her personal slaves. She even made some of them become Overtakers." Mickey said. "Everyone else is being held under _Pirates of the Caribbean_."

"This is bad, Finn." Rose said as concern and fear crept up on her.

"We have to save them before the guests arrive." Finn said. "Who knows what Maleficent will do to them."

"I can take you to an entrance to Cinderella Castle only us characters know about." Mickey said suddenly cheerful again.

"Where?" Rose and Finn said simultaneously.

-Main Street-

Main Street looked gloomy as clouds rolled over the Magic Kingdom. From dawn it had gone from beautiful sunrise to dark clouds. A storm was on its way.

It scared Rose to think that the Overtakers had pretty much won, that whenever she went to bed she would be hunted down and chased, that if she wasn't careful she could end up in the clutches of Maleficent. Rose shivered at the thought.

Mindless characters loomed the sidewalks. In the street, characters were being dragged down the street with chains on their wrists. The chains were connected from one character to the other. Overtakers lashed whips through the air when the characters slowed down.

"Depressing." Finn said.

"Where's the entrance?" Rose asked Mickey.

"It's in one of these building's walls." Mickey said. "But it's in front of the Overtakers so we have to blend in."

"Easy," Finn said. "We act like zombies as we pass them and they'll never know. The only problem is getting through the passageway. There's nothing conspicuous with passing through but opening a door to the castle is a little suspicious."

"A little?" Rose blurted.

"Maybe I can distract them when you get to the door and you can make a run for it." Mickey suggested.

Finn looked over at him. "That's so simple it just might work. Where's the passage exactly?"

"The firehouse, red brick number 13, you can't miss it. When you find the brick push it. A door will open." Mickey explained.

"That all? Seems easy enough." Rose said.

"Except for the fact that some of the characters might point us out." Finn said. Her turned to Mickey. "Do you think they would do that?"

"I don't see why not. They might think that if they turn you in they would earn freedom. Of course, I hate to admit, I would turn you in too if I would get freedom." Mickey said shyly.

"But we're trying to _save _them!" Rose said.

"Some will know that, some won't, some will think you're characters trying to escape. I don't know what will happen to you, honestly." Mickey said.

"That's comforting." Finn said sarcastically. "Let's go."

Rose watched as Mickey sauntered down the sidewalk careful not to stand out. He hung his head and let his arms dangle at his sides. Rose and Finn stared as Mickey passed by the helpless characters, helpless and hopeless.

Mickey looked back towards Finn and Rose. Rose gave him a thumbs up sign. Her face couldn't hold back a doubtful look. Mickey slumped back into his regular position. He looked over at the emporium. Mickey picked up a rock, palmed it in his hand, and threw it at the glass.

The glass shattered and pieces of the window flew everywhere. Overtakers spun towards Mickey. Mickey saluted and ran off. The Overtakers screamed after him and ran his way.

Finn grabbed Rose's hand and ran with her down the sidewalk. He stopped right in front of the Firehouse. Rose dragged her finger up the wall to red brick number 13. She snickered.

"Hey, look!" She said pointing at the brick. "It actually has 'brick #13' written on it."

"Less chatting, more escaping." Finn whispered in Rose's ear.

The wall slid open to reveal a secret passageway. Rose gawked as she saw their escape route, a hole. Finn raised an eyebrow.

"You're kidding, right?" Finn said. "I don't do falling."

"Less chatting, more escaping." Rose said mimicking Finn.

The two held hands and hopped down the pitch black, round hole. In the distance they could hear Overtakers shouting orders to follow Rose and Finn down the hole. As Rose fell down the endless hole she heard the passage slowly close, no going back now.

Finn and Rose neared a slit of light. It was a way out. Finn saw it too. Rose smiled at him. Soon they would kick some Overtaker butt.

But Finn heard something. It was a faint grinding noise. He looked over to Rose who didn't seem to hear it. The grinding grew louder but it was still barely audible. There was something at the bottom of the hole. As Finn thought more and more about the sound he realized what it was. It was a huge saw.

"Rose! Go 'all clear' now!" Finn demanded. Finn's concern in his voice scared Rose.

"Finn?"

"JUST DO IT!"

"I can't! You just made me scared! What's going on?"

Finn saw the light grow closer and closer. Then he saw a ledge to his left where Rose was approaching. He knew what he had to do. He released his grip on Rose's hand.

"Finn, what are you doing?" Rose screamed over the noise.

"I'm sorry." Finn said and with that he pushed Rose onto the ledge.

After a couple seconds Rose had realized what Finn had done. "No, Finn!" She called out. She reached out for him but he was already gone. Rose covered her eyes to avoid seeing the saw rip Finn to shreds. She could hear him being torn.

Finn was dead.

She was clueless. Why had Finn done that?

_It should've been me. _She thought to herself. _It would've been so much easier. If I had died Finn could save Disney World. I don't have what it takes to save the Kingdom. I'm the only one left._

Rose could help but sneak a peak down the hole. Finn was lying in a limp heap. Life had left him. All hope ran out of Rose. She was trapped on this ledge, Finn was dead, and Disney will be lost forever. Rose put her head back into her hands and tears streamed down her cheeks.

_If only she could go back in time. Then this wouldn't have…_ Something lit up in Rose's brain. _Go back in time… Go back in time…_

Rose could hear the passage door open again. A rope was tossed down. And the person on the other end called out. "Grab hold!" It was Mickey. He'd lost the Overtakers.

Rose tied the rope around her waist and scaled the rocky wall. When she got all the way up she untied her rope. Mickey saw that her eyes were red and that there was dried up tear streaks on her face. He sensed something had happened.

"Finn…" Rose mumbled. She didn't make eye contact with Mickey for fear that she might cry in front of him. "Finn… Died…"

Rose looked up at Mickey to see his shocked expression.

"But I know how to get him back." Rose said as a spark of hope was ignited in her eyes.

Rose extended a hand to Mickey and he took it. The two ran together away from Main Street.

After a minute or two of running, Mickey spoke up. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Spaceship earth."


	10. Time Machine

**I decided to go back to first person. Sorry if it confused you. :-)**

I wasn't sure about Spaceship Earth but I had to try. It was the only way to save Finn. I don't know the consequences, but it had to be done. Mickey obviously didn't know why we were going to Spaceship Earth.

"Spaceship Earth is basically a time machine, right?" I asked Mickey.

"Yeah, I think so. I don't usually go over to Epcot." Mickey said.

"Do you think it could really _work_ as a time machine?"

"You want to go back in time to save Finn?"

"I want to stop Maleficent from capturing him in the first place. It'll prevent _so_ many problems if it never happened."

"But-"

"There it is!" I interrupted.

A giant, golf ball-like building came into view over the horizon. Most people don't know that the famous golf ball is actually a ride. I didn't even know it was a ride until I came to Florida.

I stumbled on a rock ad fell to the ground. Mickey, not knowing that I had fallen, tripped over me. I had freaked out when I had turned invisible once I stepped outside the Magic Kingdom. I couldn't wait to get back into one of the parks.

I dusted myself off and helped Mickey back onto his feet. I sprinted towards Spaceship Earth. Mickey was yanked behind me to run.

"Sorry." I apologized.

When we got close enough to Epcot I turned visible. I cheered to myself. I missed seeing me hands and feet and arms and legs and… Well, you get the idea.

The gloomy clouds were now black and lightning boomed above my head. It reminded me of the movie "Back to the Future". I remembered that it was storming outside in the first movie when the kid needed to get back to his own time. But I needed to go back in time.

Mickey and I ran under the large golf ball and zigzagged through the waiting line for Spaceship Earth. Mickey went over to the control panel.

"Do you know what you're doing?" I shouted as the ride whirred to life. The car I was sitting in wouldn't start until Mickey let the cars go. There was another _Crack!_ of lightning in the early morning sky.

Mickey glanced up from the panel dumbfounded. "I have no idea what _any _of these buttons do."

I lost all hope. I was never going to go back in time. I was never going to save Finn. Disney World was finished. Then Mickey lit up and bounced up and down.

"I found the button!" Mickey exclaimed. I looked at him. My face glowed with hopefulness. "It's the one that starts the cars."

"Thanks, Mickey!" I called out.

"Is it ok is I come with you?" Mickey asked his gloved finger hovering over the start button.

I considered it. If Mickey comes with me then it might be a big help, but what if it's more like babysitting. This was going to be tough. What to do? I need to retrace Finn's steps, but where do I begin. When was Finn kidnapped? I would need major help with this. I'd made up my mind.

"Hurry in after you press the Start button." I told him.

After Mickey pushed the button he dashed to the seat next to me. The long line of cars slowly moved along the loading dock. Thunder crashed outside, again. I was getting annoyed with the slowness of the ride. I hopped out the car and ran to the panel.

"What are you doing?" Mickey shouted.

"We're never going to go back in time if the ride's going this slow. I'm making it go faster." I told him.

I scanned the controls. I couldn't find anything. The first car started through the ride. I slammed on the stop button to save me some time. I stared at all the blinking, multicolored, and different shaped buttons. No of them were labeled "speed control". I felt like yanking out my hair. There had to be _something_. I threw my head into my hands.

Thunder struck somewhere near Epcot. I jumped. I clutched the edges of the panel. My fingers felt the tip of a button under the table. I looked under the panel. There, right in front of my face, was a small dim lighted button. It was painted the color of the panel, made for blending in. I pushed the button.

There was a _Swoosh; _it was from behind me. A secret panel had slid out from the wall. It… It…

"What's going on?" Mickey called out from the second car. He was bored.

I didn't answer him. I just smiled. "The time machine…" I mumbled. "We can save Finn."

"Huh?" Mickey called.

"These are the time machine controls!" I cheered. I turned a knob to five days into the past, Monday. Hour, 6:00 a.m. The ride whirred again. I stepped back from the controls and checked them over. A button flashed blue and white. It was the start button. I gulped. I wondered what it would feel like to travel back in time.

I pushed the Start button. An old man's voice took over the speakers and I ran over to my seat and buckled up. Mickey tested my seat belts strength by pulling on it.

A robotic voice came over the speakers. "T minus 10, 9, 8,"-Mickey and I grabbed on tightly to our seats-"7, 6, 5,"-I swallowed a lump in my throat-"4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Lift off."

The ride suddenly took off backwards at an insanely fast speed. The ride usually takes fifteen minutes but this would only seem like thirty seconds. We passed through the blurry scenes the wind whipping at my hair. I couldn't see anything. I tried to scream but it was carried away from me. I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, and I was barely able to breathe.

Suddenly the ride stopped.

We were back at the loading dock. I looked at my watch, 6:00 in the morning. I smiled.

"We did it! We made it!" I unbuckled my seat belt and jumped out of the seat. I quickly went serious "We need to leave."

Mickey and I had escaped from the park soon afterward. It was somehow 7:00. I wasn't a DHI anymore. There wasn't even a DHI for me yet. It might be a disadvantage though since I couldn't go 'all clear' now. I was at a gas station, not the one that I almost got captured by pirates in. I pecked at the little numbers of the quarter telephone by the bathroom. The phone rang for a moment and then someone picked up.

"Whitman's residence, this is Mrs. Whitman speaking." Said the lady on the other end. I had gotten all the DHIs' phone numbers the day I became a Kingdom Keeper. It was in my pocket while traveling back in time.

"Hello." I replied in an uncharacteristically cheery tone. "Is Finn there? I have a question about our… Health assignment."

"Oh, how delightful. I'll get Finn for you." In the background I could hear Mrs. Whitman calling to Finn that he had a phone call. I hoped that Finn wasn't still at Disney World. Then I heard tired, lazy footsteps come down the stairs.

"Hello?" Finn yawned. It felt like a dream to hear Finn's voice again, the good kind, Not the nightmares.

"Finn I need to talk to you." I said.

"Who is this?"

"Um…" I looked around. I saw that the Calendar hadn't been changed and still read-"June." I replied.

"You say you go to my school? I have never heard of you."

"I made up the assignment thing." I admitted regrettably. "I just _really _need to talk to you."

"Listen," Finn said in an irritated tone. "I got to get ready for school."

He just about hung up on me before I blurted. "I know about the others."

Finn, confused and curious, put the phone back to his ear. "What?"

I took in a deep, shaky breath. "I know about the Kingdom Keepers."

"A lot of people know about us. Do you just want an autograph or something?"

"No, I know about where you go to every night." Finn suddenly seemed interested. "More importantly, I know about the Overtakers and what they have planned. I'm here to help you."

Finn was dumbfounded. He was so dumbfounded that he dropped the phone. It landed with a _THUD._ He quickly picked it back up. "I-I don't believe you."

"Here, I'll show you." I told Finn and I gave the phone to Mickey.

"Hi ya!" Mickey said. I could hear Finn drop the phone, again. I took the phone back from Mickey.

"I'm telling the truth!"

"Where'd you learn all of this?" Finn asked doubtfully.

"Listen, when I was your replacement-"

"What replacement?" Finn blurted.

"I shouldn't have said that."

"Who are you _really_?" Finn asked. "Are you an Overtaker?"

"I can't tell you my name, yet. We need to talk someplace private."

"What, so you can lead me into a trap? I don't think so!" Finn didn't waste a minute. He hung the phone up immediately.

I thought long and hard about what to do. Then I thought of something.

_You have to believe me. I absolutely _need _to talk to you. It's literally a matter of life or death._ I thought hoping I might be able to use telepathy.

I dialed the phone furiously. I hoped Finn was still near his phone.

The phone clicked. "Meet me at my school on the black top at 12:30 under the huge oak."


	11. Back to the Past

Under the large swaying leaves of the oak tree I sat. It was sunny with a few clouds today, or five days ago. It made me feel strange to be back in time. I knew a little bit about time traveling, not very much though. I have to try my best not to be seen. A sweet summer breeze drifted through the air. I'd left Mickey to spy on the Overtakers. This meeting was for Finn and me only.

The school year was still in for some strange reason. I hoped no one passing by would think I'm playing hooky or stalking some kid. I turned my back towards the road.

The bell rang inside the school. I could hear a stampede of kids running through the halls. I looked at my watch again, 12:34. Finn would come out any minute. In the meantime I kicked back and looked into the leaves of the tree. It seemed hypnotizing. I could almost fall asleep…

I snapped my attention back to the school door. It opened a crack. I ran behind the tree. I didn't know if it was Finn or not. I didn't want to meet Finn all of a sudden. I was scared about what might happen if I did.

Finn's head appeared around the corner of the door. He slowly and silently closed it. I peered around the super sized trunk of the oak tree. He was casually walking over to me. My heart pounded. What if something happens to him because of _me_? What if he's kidnapped at our meeting? I couldn't shake the thoughts away.

Finn saw me from around the trunk of the tree. "June?"

Who was he talking to? Oh, wait! My name's June.

"Hurry." I urged him.

"What's this all about? How do you know so much about us? Tell me this time!" Finn seemed angry. He scared me. I've never seen this Finn. He wouldn't treat me the same as before, I mean after.

I didn't care though. I thought I'd never get to see him again. Without myself knowing, a tear rolled down my face. I tried to blink it away. I didn't want to lie to Finn like this. He'd never trust me again if did. Then again, he doesn't trust me now either.

"Finn, you're not going to want to believe what I'm going to tell you, but you have to. I'm not going to lie to you any longer." I looked directly into his eyes. "I'm from the future, or rather the present. It's a time where the Overtakers have won."-I broke eye contact with him-"It's a time when you're… dead."

"I…" Finn started. His eyes were flooded with pain and sadness. He blinked it away. "No! You're lying! You can't be from the future. It's impossible!"

"And yet you can fall asleep and wake up in the Magic Kingdom? How do you think I felt when I found out? I thought it was baloney!"-Finn to a step backwards-"But I had to believe it. If I didn't you would've never been saved. They kidnapped you! That's why I'm here, to prevent it."

Finn was speechless. Just like he had been on the phone. I stood my ground. I watched as Finn gave in. He sat down on the ground.

"Ok, I'm not saying that I believe you, but could you please explain all this to me?" Finn asked.

I sat next to him and told him everything. I didn't sugarcoat things. I didn't stretch the truth. I told everything like it happened. The most painful thing was telling Finn that he was dead.

Finn was silent.

"Well?"

Finn sighed. "Do you know where was I kidnapped?"

"I-I don't…" I stammered. "Amanda never told me."

"How am I supposed to stay safe then?" Fin snapped.

"Um… Where are you going tonight?"

"Let's see… I got to get back to class in about two minutes, go home, have super, and there's a dance tonight."

"Dance?" I asked. "What kind of dance?"

"A masquerade thing. Why?"

"Perfect! I'm going to tell Mickey. Meet you at the dance."

"You realize this isn't a date, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." I shouted from across the street.

Finn rushed back inside the school building.

_Finn splashed his face telling himself that it wasn't true. This just wasn't right. A random girl came from the future coming to save him from an impending kidnapping? He doubted it. Although something about her seemed familiar. But he had never seen her, yet._

_Finn turned the faucet off. He stared into the mirror long and hard. It crackled and fogged up. It got cold. Finn realized who it was immediately. Maleficent._

_Finn spun around to face the wicked fairy. Her green skin looked even more sickly from the green tile along the bathroom wall. Finn's eyes went wide. It was sad to think that he'd only believe Rose if he were kidnapped. He felt guilty suddenly. Why hadn't he believed Rose sooner?_

_Maleficent snapped her fingers and everything went black for Finn. He collapsed to the floor. He didn't know what happened. He just wished he could tell Rose that he believed her now._

Finn opened his eyes. It was just a vision, or a dream. Finn believed Rose. Even though the kidnapping hadn't happened yet.

Mickey had fixed me up with the best dress and mask he could find in the wardrobe room near the employee lockers. It was a dress from one of the dancers in the parades. It had a white bottom half and a strapless gold top half. I had trimmed most of the bottom off since it dragged on the ground. My mask was something you might see at Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Now I was entering Finn's school. I slipped my mask over my eyes. I stepped into the big gym filled with flashing lights. A disco ball hung from the center of the ceiling. Teens danced and jumped all around on the dance floor. Masks were on everyone's face.

Wait, how am I supposed to find Finn? He's bound to have a mask on. I guess I'll have to use telepathy on all the boys, great.

I walked casually over to the punch bowl. I grabbed a glass. As a put the rim of the plastic cup to my lips someone grabbed onto my shoulder. I stopped drinking my punch immediately. Uh-oh! The person turned me around. It was Amanda.

"Hi, I was just wondering where you got that dress," Amanda took in my mask. "And that's a really cute mask." She extended her hand. I shook it. "My name's-"

"Amanda." I whispered.

Amanda looked at me with a weird look. "What's your name?"

"Rose." _Shoot!_ I thought to myself.

"Do you go to our school?" Amanda asked.

"Finn invited me." I said.

"Oh, are you dating him?" Amanda crossed her arms.

"What, No!" I said defensively. "I'm just an old friend. I haven't seen him though. Do you know where he is?"

"He didn't come."

"Oh-no! Maleficent might have gotten him."

Amanda pulled me aside. "What did you say?"

"20 cents might have gotten Finn. He's a thug from… Tallahassee."

"That's not what you said." Amanda crossed her arms, again.

I looked around for something to change the subject. "Hey," I pointed towards a large guy coming towards us. "Who's he?"

Amanda glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, man. It's Greg. We have to hide."

"Hide?" I started to say, but Amanda dragged me behind the punch table. "Why are we hiding?"

"That lousy Greg has been stalking me ever since I started hanging out with Finn more often." Amanda explained. "I think I tipped him off last night when he 'fell' out of a tree."

I fought back a laugh. "He won't know you behind a mask, will he?"

"I don't know how he does it, but he has a way of picking me out of the crowd, even with a mask on."

I peered over the surface of the table. Greg, who had a scratched up arm from 'falling' from a tree, searched through groups of masked girls for Amanda. He looked at me. He apparently thought I was Amanda. I ducked down and crawled past Amanda.

"What are you doing?" Amanda asked me.

"I'm going to save your butt. Split up." I crawled out from behind the table and speed walked around a group of dancing freshman. Greg followed me. I looked back over my shoulder Greg was alone. Where had his friends gone?

_Thud!_ I ran into a guy with a thick chest, one of Greg's friends. He grabbed my arms and dragged me away. I struggled and thrashed around. He gripped me tighter. I kicked back and he let me go. I ran away and down the hall until one of the scrawny boys caught up and tackled me. I came down, hard.

I saw Greg's shoe in front of my face. The boys helped-make that forced-me up. I came mask to mask with Greg.

"Thought you could run away huh, Amanda?" He clutched my mask. Don't be seen, I remembered.

"You got the wrong girl. But I've got a message for you from Amanda."

I drew my knee back kicking the scrawny boy then flung the foot at Greg kicking him in the groin. I punched the broad shouldered guy holding my left arm. All the boys lay on the floor holding their hands to where they got hit. I dusted off my dress and stomped away to find Finn.


	12. In Maleficent's Lair, Again

I quickly rushed to Amanda's side. She seemed surprised to see me alive. I looked over at the boy she was talking to. I peaked around his mask.

"Finn! I can't believe it's you." I said.

"I believe your story about the Overtakers, Rose. Something happened after I left you. It was weird, but it made me believe you."

Amanda seemed lost. "What's going on Finn?"

"I'll tell you later." Finn told Amanda. He looked back at me. He could see urgency in my eyes. "You ok?"

"I-We need to get out of here before Greg gets back up." I said. "Who knows what he'll do to me after what happened out there."

"You need to trade out masks." Amanda said. She took my mask off and walked away. Later, she came back with another mask. This one was black with sparkly white bedazzled jewels. It looked kind of cute. I slipped it over my face.

Greg stormed into the gym with his limping friend and his swollen-faced friend. They looked around for my old golden swirled mask. Once they found it, it won't be long till they figure out what I did.

Finn snickered at Greg as he staggered uncomfortably into the room. Greg was leaning against the wall pretending to look cool. Truth be told, he looked like a dork. Truth be told, he _was_ a dork.

I grabbed Finn's arm like he will do to me so many times in three days. I wasn't sure where or how much time Finn had before he was kidnapped, but you probably already knew that. All I know is that it will happen in the next two days. I had to stay by Finn's side at all times.

I pulled Finn outside. Amanda followed shortly behind. It was chilly from the nighttime breeze. The moon was full and bright.

"We need to go to Disney World." I said. "If we only wait we'll waste time. We need to take out Maleficent while she's idle."

"How does she know about Maleficent?" Amanda asked.

"That makes sense," Finn said. "But how will _you_ get over there?"

"I have Mickey to help me with that. My fear is that Maleficent will use our own plan against us."

"I feel ignored right now." Amanda said. No one answered her. "Correction, I _am_ being ignored."

"We need the other Kingdom Keepers. We need a strategy. Everything will be better if the others can help us." I said.

"Meet us at the Firehouse at 8:30." Finn said. It reminded me about the first time that I had met Amanda and the other DHIs. It was my first day as a Kingdom Keeper.

"Firehouse, 8:30. Got it."

I walked with Mickey down Main Street. I had felt bad to leave him alone two times. He seemed a little bit depressed about it too. I felt like a jerk.

I looked at the meeting room from down on the sidewalk. The blinds were shut but streaks of light peaked out of the window. They were up there. Technically, this would be my first time meeting the group of Kingdom Keepers.

I rushed into the firehouse and up the stairs. I heard voices from inside, like the first day. All the DHIs were there.

"Finn, she could lead us into a trap." Philby said.

"How do we know she's telling the truth? She could just be an Overtaker." Willa said.

"You just don't understand." I heard Finn say. "I can tell when people are lying and she isn't lying."

Again with the criticism! Why is it that this is happening again? First it happens in the present and then it happens in the past. Did anyone else find that sentence strange?

_I understand why they don't trust me, though. _I thought to Finn.

I heard Finn stir in the room.

"Something wrong, Finn?" Charlene asked.

I realized that I hadn't heard from Mickey for a while now.

Someone grabbed my arms and held them behind my back. I thrashed around as they pinned me to the ground. I felt the gloved hands bounded my wrists together with ropes. I felt the chill come over me.

I let out an ear piercing scream to warn Finn.

The door slammed open and Finn stepped out. He saw my captor. "Mickey?"

The others stepped into the hall. They gawked at the mouse holding me back. But Mickey's hands grew bonier. The chill I had felt grew colder. The DHIs' eyes went absolutely huge. I realized what had happened. Maleficent had pretended to be Mickey so that she could get one of the Kingdom Keepers easier. Now she had shape shifted back to her regular green skinned self. She didn't know it but her capturing me was a total déjà vu moment.

Maleficent smiled wickedly. My plan worked, sort of. Finn didn't get kidnapped, but I did. I could hear in the distance Finn shouting at Maleficent. He tried to grab onto Maleficent's cape but she slipped away from him with centimeters to spare. I wish I could've reached out to Finn but my hands were tied behind my back. Instead I just called out to him unable to do anything else. With a swish of her cape and a flick of her wrist we were gone. I couldn't see the DHIs anymore. They were gone.

Maleficent's liar was still, guess where, Splash Mountain. I could've guessed that. From the first step I took into the wet, smelly dump I knew that I would be in the same position as I was last time. A water droplet fell on my nose. I let slide off my nose and splash onto the floor.

The blindfold covering my eyes was useless. I didn't struggle as Maleficent led me into the room I once was trapped in. I felt like I knew Maleficent's every move, but I didn't. I only knew a couple of key things and that was it. I knew nothing else.

Maleficent directed me to the corner and pushed me down to the ground. My blindfold fell off my eyes. I didn't look back at Maleficent. Instead I stared at Mickey.

"Mickey? How'd she get you?" I whispered. My words were so silent that the tiniest wind could whisk it away.

Mickey pretended to ignore me until Maleficent went to back to her crystal ball. "She got me when I went spying on her for the second time. When you were at the dance." Now I felt even guiltier about ditching Mickey.

"It's my fault you're here," I said. "But I might have a plan. Just go with the flow. Go as if this was your first time here."

"This _is_ my first time here." He corrected.

I didn't know what else to tell Mickey. I turned back to Maleficent. She was gazing upon her foggy crystal ball. She briefly glanced back at Mickey and me. I stretched my neck so that I could get a better look at the ball. Finn and the others were making up a plan. I needed it to be just like the last one, without Finn getting captured.

_Finn, _I thought. _Go with the plan I told you about, but don't get kidnapped._

I saw Finn in the ball quiet the others. He started explaining something but I couldn't hear it over Maleficent's monologuing. I imagined that Finn was talking about the plan. I love telepathy, even if Finn doesn't know how to talk back.

Maleficent stopped talking, finally. I could hear Finn speaking now. He was telling Philby and Charlene what they needed to do. Then he gave Maybeck and Willa the same jobs as Philby and Charlene.

"No, Finn! Don't give them that job!" I whispered to myself.

_Finn, tell Maybeck and Willa to find the door to where I'm being kept. _I thought.

Finn immediately changed tactics in the ball. Maleficent looked over at me. She seemed baffled. Her cloak swished as she walked over to me.

"I've been thinking,"-That's a first-"You aren't one of the Kingdom Keepers are you?"

"Not yet." I mumbled.

"What do you know about all this?"

"More than you think."

"Where do you learn it?"

"I already knew it."

"How did you do that?" Maleficent pointed to her crystal ball.

"Do what?" I said innocently.

"He heard you!" Maleficent screamed at me. "And then followed your directions!"

"That's not what happened." I told her.

"Then what'd you do?" Maleficent shouted.

_Why don't you tell me? _I thought. I had wondered if I could use telepathy on others. My question was answered with Maleficent's shocked expression. I looked over to Mickey. He was lost.

_I used telepathy on her. _I thought. I smiled inside as his eyes went huge.

Maleficent grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. Yeah, I remember this. It was like taking a real stroll down memory lane. Maleficent will take me through a door and threaten to kill me if the Kingdom keepers don't give her the Stonecutter's Quill.

The door opened to reveal a radiant full moon. Maleficent's bony, freezing fingers brushed my neck. I cringed. We were on the ledge again. The others were at the base of the mountain. Charlene, Philby, and Finn were there and Maybeck and Willa were going to save Mickey. I had this all under control.

None of them were going to get hurt this time, besides Maleficent.


	13. The End

Maleficent looked down at the waterfall then at the pit of thorns. Then she looked at me. I faked a surprised look. 'We were in Splash Mountain?' it said. Maleficent didn't buy it.

She gripped my shirt collar and pulled me closer to the edge of the ledge.

"Back off," Maleficent warned. "Or she goes into the thorns."

I looked down at the thorns. They seemed more menacing this time than when I first saw them. I could survive the waterfall, but I had no idea how much damage the thorns would do to me. I set out a pure look of terror that was, believe me, truly real.

I saw that Finn thought I was acting. I don't think he knew that I couldn't go 'all clear' anymore. I shook my head and tried to act out with my hands that I cannot become a pure DHI. Finn ignored me.

Maleficent pushed me closer to the thorns. My heart was pumping so fast I thought it might explode. I was afraid Finn could hear it. Finn leaped over the fence.

Maleficent cackled. "I guess it's the thorns then."

Maleficent held me over the ledge and let go of me. I almost fell had it not been for me grabbing Maleficent's cloak. She looked down at my hand grasping the purple rim. She conjured up a fireball. I looked down at the thorns.

I had nothing to lose.

I tugged on Maleficent's cloak and we both went falling. Maleficent cursed and hollered, but that wouldn't stop her imminent death. Time seemed to slow. Finn rushed over to the thorns and looked for a way to catch me. He found no way in and no way to save me. He poked the thorn to test if it was sharp. It cut his thumb. There was no way I could survive the impact on the thorns.

I turned to Maleficent. There might be a way to survive. I pushed against Maleficent and splashed into the waterfall. I had lived through the waterfall once. I assumed I could do it again.

Charlene and Philby rushed to the water. Charlene looked up and down the rushing water but found nothing. She handed Philby her running shoes.

"I'm going in." She said, but Philby put his hand on her shoulder to keep her from diving. Charlene looked back at him. "What?"

Philby pointed to the edge of the water. "There."

I grabbed onto the land and tried to heave myself up. I gave up and slumped back into the cold water. I rested my head on my arms. I saw Charlene and Philby running over to me. They extended their hands to me. They helped me up and onto the grass. I coughed out water I had breathed in earlier. I felt chilled to the bone. I slowly sat up. Charlene was putting her shoes back on.

Finn kept searching the thorns.

"Find her yet?" Philby called out.

"No," Finn said. "She got away, somehow."

"She won't be bothering you guys for a while." I said. Thunder boomed in the background. "I need to go back to the future. Where's Willa, Maybeck, and Mickey?"

"At the Exit." Charlene said.

I looked over at the exit. Willa was running over to us, Maybeck was leaning against a post, and Mickey was sitting on a bench. I stood up and squeezed the water out of my sopping jeans.

"We got Mickey." Willa said.

"I got to go back to the future." I told her.

Willa's smile faded. "Oh," She whispered. "It was nice meeting you."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could stay, but this isn't my time." I told her.

I said good bye to everyone else. Finn was my last one to say goodbye to.

We shook hands. "Don't get kidnapped. I'm not going through this again."

"I'll try my best." Finn said.

I let go of his hand, but he held on. I looked into his eyes. They were filled with pain.

"I'll send you a postcard." I said. He smiled. I didn't want to leave him feeling sad. I smiled back at him. "Guess that's kind of impossible, right?"

"Come on!" Mickey called to me. "The thunderstorm isn't going to last long!"

I let go of Finn's hand. This time he let go too. I broke eye contact.

"I… I got to go." I said.

I walked away from him. I didn't look back. I didn't want to see Finn's pained face. I just walked to the time machine with a huge hole in my heart.

Mickey opened the panel to the time machine. He turned some knobs and threw some switches.

I sighed. "Do you know what's going to happen when you push the start button?"

"We go back to our own time?" Mickey answered.

"It's not just that." I said. "Everything will go back to normal. I will never become a DHI. You never meet me. I never meet the Kingdom Keepers." Mickey looked at me. "We won't remember a thing about this."

"Is that good?" Mickey asked me.

"I don't know. I liked this. It was fun. It changed me."

"Should I press the button?"

I hesitated. "We have to."

Mickey pressed the button and scurried into his seat. I looked at Spaceship Earth. This was the last time I'd use this for time travel purposes. I would remember a thing. I wouldn't remember meeting my brother's hero, Mickey. I wouldn't remember about the Overtakers, thank goodness. Worst of all, I wouldn't remember the Kingdom Keepers.

_Have fun wherever you go. _I heard Finn think.

I felt a tear stream down my cheek.

_Goodbye_, I thought.

The car sped forward and everything went back to normal.


	14. Epilogue

It was a beautiful, summer day. There was no school, no stress, and no worries. I was relaxing in my bikini by the shore of a sunny beach. How could someone be stressed on one of the most amazing days in the summer?

The tranquil waves overlapped the shore with a relaxing _splash_. The hot sun made the temperature 98 degrees outside. I lathered on some sunscreen-I was going to be here for a while.

I scooped up some sand with my tanned hand. It filtered out of my fingers as I let it drop to the ground. I snuggled closer to the palm tree I was leaning against and smoothed out my beach blanket. It had a dolphin print on it with a setting Hawaiian sun in the background. I put on my shades and took out my cell phone.

Florida was so awesome.

I heard a group of kids playing volleyball close by. I ignored them and went back to texting my friend in Illinois. I smiled when she texted that Celeste Collins 'slipped' into the pool today after flirting with my boyfriend, Lance.

The light around me dimmed as someone's shadow swallowed me. I stopped in the middle of my text and looked up.

"Something wrong?" I asked the dude standing in front of me.

"The volleyball rolled under your bag." He said.

"Oh, sorry." I picked up my bag and passed the volleyball to the guy.

He started to leave but stopped. He turned back to me. "Hey, you want to come play some volleyball with us? My name's Finn." He extended a hand to me.

I shook it. Something came into my mind about him, but it slipped away as fast as it came. "Hi." My phone rang. "Sorry, I can't play right now"-My phone rang a second time-"I got to take this."

"That's ok, bye." He ran off to his friends.

"Bye." I said. My phone rang for the third time. I picked it up.

"So how is Orlando?" Grace said on the other end.

I looked back at Finn. What did he remind me of? I couldn't remember. "Great. We're going to Disney World today, Epcot. Did you know that the golfball there is a ride?"

"I didn't know that. Did you hear about the-" Grace was cut off by a screaming woman in the background. "I got to go. Mom is throwing a fit again. Call me later."

"Bye." I said. I hung up the cell phone. I looked over at the volleyball game. I walked back to my beach towel. Something seemed familiar about Finn.

It was probably nothing.

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